Hey folks, over the last couple months someone has been sending emails as our founder and engineer “Limor Fried.” The scammer appears to be emailing electronic companies after finding a contact email from the electronic company webpages and then asking the company to call/email them. The email address is not an @adafruit.com address of course, they are using email addresses like [email protected]. Some of the emails sent were from other email providers and our team was able to get the accounts disabled, however, that is just “wack-a-mole” as they say. The recent ones have a Whatsapp phone #. We called and messaged the # and then were blocked it seems. We contacted Whatsapp, and alerted our legal folks. We also emailed protonmail (the most recent one) and they said “We will investigate and disable this account if we confirm that it’s being used to impersonate someone for purposes of fraud. Best regards, The ProtonMail Security Team”
So! Here’s a screenshot of the email that is being used each time. The electronic companies are all smart and knew right away it was not the real Limor, enough were sent out though that we wanted to post about it here to refer to.
The previous one(s) looks like this…
To be clear, that is not Limor. Limor does not even have a phone (or send emails like that). The Adafruit team uses only the following means for official Adafruit business: @adafruit.com and we do not use Whatsapp for phone calls.
In the past (and present, and future..) harassers, scammers, and stalkers have made fake Adafruit sites, sent emails as fake-Limor, fake-pt, fakes to our CFO, etc… pretty much everything that happens when you have a company or are a person online it seems. Shields up, stay frosty, and please email [email protected] when in doubt, we’ll check it out.
Update:
“We will take appropriate action against the account. If you notice any other similar accounts in the future, please let us know.
Best Regards,
ProtonMail Abuse Team”
Update: 10/11/2018
Another wave of fake Limors today. We contacted the hosting provider(s) and more as usual.
Headers are here.
Subject: Hello
Reply-To: [email protected]
Mail-Reply-To: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
X-Sender: [email protected]
User-Agent: Roundcube Webmail/1.3.3
X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report
X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname – emerald7.doveserver.com
X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID – [47 12] / [47 12]
X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain – adafruit.com
X-Get-Message-Sender-Via: emerald7.doveserver.com: authenticated_id: [email protected]
X-Authenticated-Sender: emerald7.doveserver.com: [email protected]Begin forwarded message:
From: Limor FriedSubject: Hello
Date: 11 October 2018 at 14:57:02 CEST
Reply-To: [email protected]
Update: 1/22/2019, another…
Update: 1/23/2019 another (tried to use adafruiit.com this time, adafruit with two ii …)
Update: 1/29/2019, another… (we were alerted of two, both coming from [email protected], [email protected])
Update: 3/11/2019, they are still at it… they are now using: 69.168.97.48 IP, smtp.hughes.net, from: [email protected] (we’ll see if there is a way to report this).
Update: 3/12/19, Microsoft banned the account.
Update: 4/24/19 we were alerted by a couple resellers they are at it again.
Update: 4/25/19 It appears the scammer was attempting to trick people they are emailing from [email protected] to filling out this form at “cognitoforms.com”, we were able to get the form taken down.
Update: 7/3/19 Looks like the fake-limor is at it again, this time they’re using a hotmail account ([email protected]), and a possibly hacked server/email account: [email protected]
Update: 8/19/19 Looks like another fake limor, this time using gmail. We reported [email protected] to google and google gmail abuse, we’ll see what happens.
Update: 1/14/2020, fake Limor scam attempt is back, we reported [email protected] to google and google gmail abuse, as well as: [email protected] we’ll see what happens.
Update: 1/15/2020, when the potential victims reply, this is the text the scammer is sending, screenshot above and text below.
From: Adafruit Industries [email protected]
Date: Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 3:48 AM
Subject: Re: Hello (New Project)Thank you for your prompt response. Adafruit Industries is acquiring a bio science machine from China and we need a representative that can handle it from outside USA. We solicit your assistance due to US-China Trade Dispute, the increase percent tariffs imposed on import from China/Hong Kong and the newly unfavorable monetary policy of the US Government which makes money transfer take longer process. It will be easier and quicker if Adafruit Industries can get a Rep to handle it from outside USA and since you are one of our distributors we thought it wise to contact you to be part of this new project.
Kindly let me know if you can handle it so I can send you details.
Limor Fried
CEO
Adafruit Industries
150 Varick Street
New York
NY 10013, USA
Update: 5/20/2020 – They’re back, guess they took off some time during the pandemic, but are scamming again.
From: Limor Fried
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 at 22:06Hi ,
Do you have a moment to correspond with me via email?
I have an obligation that I would like you to complete ASAP.
Please contact me on my personal email([email protected]) for directive.Regards,
Limor Fried
CEO
Adafruit Industries.
150 Varick St, New York,
NY 10013 U.S.A
© Adafruit Industries. All rights reserved.
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information in this electronic mail is intended only for the named recipient. It is confidential and may be privileged.
We reported it to Microsoft today.
They’re back
From: Limor Fried [email protected]
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 03:07:07 -0930
Subject: Response
To: ******@adafruit.comHI
I’m planning to surprise some of the staff with Gifts, Your confidentiality
will be appreciated however, I need you to get a purchase done, Email me
once you get this .Regards,
Limor Fried
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
sent from my mobile device
9-28-2020 This fake-Limor sent this to some of our team.
We reported it to google https://support.google.com/mail/contact/abuse?hl=en
They’re back
De : Limor Fried
Date: ven. 28 mai 2021 à 16:15
Subject: Re: Unable to reach you—
Hi , I called your office earlier, it’s not connecting. If you receive this message kindly reply, It’s important.Regards,
Limor “LadyAda” Fried
Founder, Chief Engineer & CEO
Adafruit Industries
New York City (SoHo, Manhattan)
United States
May 28, 2021 – they are back, this was sent to one of our resellers and they let us know.
May 30
May 30, 2021 – They’re back now telling people to email [email protected] , we will try to report it to hotmail.
June 7, 2021 – back and now trying from “Limor Fried” @ [email protected] . We have reported it to the domain / provider.
Oct 14
October 14, 2021 – they are back, sending email from [email protected] from a server kensami.com. We have reported it to the domain / provider.
Jan 18, 2022
January 18, 2022 – they are back sending email from [email protected] from a server / email [email protected]. We have reported it.
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022 – they are back sending email from [email protected] , reported to: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/concern/scam?rtc=1
May 18, 2022
Aaaand they are back.
From: Adafruit Industries
Subject: LEDS & CHIPS
Date: 18 May 2022 at 11:18:28 WEST
Reply-To: [email protected]Hi,
I hope you all are staying safe?Please, do you have a moment to correspond with me via email? I have an obligation that I would like you to complete as soon as possible.
Please reply via my private email ([email protected]) for directivesBest Regards,
Limor Fried
Adafruit Industries
Chief Executive Officer
150 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 United State
Copyright © 2022 Adafruit Industries.® All Rights Reserved
This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized and may be illegal.
August 12, 2022
Update: August 12, 2022 – Fake Limor is back, along with a fake Dano. Screenshot below, we’ll see if we can report this one as well to the ISP/internet provider. It came from mxdhbe02.ad.aruba.it and had a reply to from: “[email protected]” that of course is not from Adafruit.
February 1, 2023
Update: February 1, 2023 – Happy New Year, Fake Limor is back, screenshot below. We reported ([email protected]) to hotmail, but do not expect them to do anything. it was reported to: [email protected], [email protected] and also [email protected]
[email protected] via mail-out.cluster031.hosting.ovh.net
Hi,
Compliment of the season. Please, do you have a moment to correspond with me
via email. I have an obligation that I would like you to complete as soon as
possible.
Please reply via my private email ([email protected]) for
directives.Best Regards,
Limor Fried
CEO / President
Leuze electronic, Inc
150 Varick St Rm 300, New York, New York, 10013, United States
Copyright © 2023 Adafruit Industries. All Rights Reserved.
This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender
immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. Any
dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended
recipient is unauthorized and may be illegal.
March 17, 2023
Update: March 17, 2023 – Fake Limor returns!
Hello,
I’ll appreciate it if this is treated urgently.
Please be informed that all open items are to be reviewed as our accounting department is working on balancing account. Therefore, kindly attach all Due/Open invoices owed to our company so we can keep accurate records.
P.S: Do Not send DUE payments yet as there’s a change to our beneficiary details.Best Regards,
Limor Fried – Chief Executive Officer
